The Gift
by Bradly93
Summary: *TRIAL RUN, this is just to see if people are interested in my crappy stories* Samuel Rhodes was a painfully average teenage boy. That was until he was nearly murdered and saved by creatures he never knew existed. Join him on his journey as he finds himself and learns the truths about the world he knew nothing about. Jeremy/OMC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One: End

The night air felt dry and empty but the blood rushing through my veins made each step down the empty city streets feel like a tantalizing affair. Music could be heard bouncing around the quiet night from a distance away drawing the few people ambling around the area away from the direction I walked in. Others were going to the festival held out near the center of town, not myself however. I was seeking a small hole in the wall tavern, a place where people like me gathered to be themselves only in secret. My name is Samuel Rhodes, I am the first son of Robert and Lorraine Rhodes, elder brother to Erica Rhodes, top of the class at Prufrock Secondary School, and I am nearly normal. Nearly.

The difference between myself and the other people of my town is that I was a queer. As far back as I could remember I was always attracted to men. Not that I could ever tell anyone however. My father was a very devout Christian and hated many things, the homos being at the top of the list. So I kept my secret close to my heart, telling no one. However I could hardly stop myself when I was in the market this morning and overheard Mary Vaughn telling her fellow housewives about the scandal involving the Wilsons' Family. Apparently Mrs. Wilson left in the night with her daughter after finding out Mr. Wilson had been visiting some unknown tavern near Chisolm Trail where men would enjoy the company of each other.

Now hear I stood on Chisolm Trail hoping to find a sign on the fabled tavern. I'd been walking for nearly half an hour hoping to come upon some quiet space filled with men walking around. Unfortunately I'd had no such luck only coming across a few couples and stragglers heading out to the festival on the other side of town casting me curious looks. It was unseen for someone to be walking alone in town, but someone as young as myself was simply unheard of. Granted I was not so young that they would be bold enough to question me. At sixteen I was on the precipice of adulthood and since many people also knew my family, they had no reason to think that I, a "Rhodes" would be up to anything unbecoming.

After coming to the end of the street once more I feel the doubt return to me. I was a fool listening to the gossip of a house woman, now I would have to deal with my fathers anger at my late night disappearance for no reason at all. Just as I was coming to the decision to take myself back home, I see a man walking into an alley way a dozen or so yards away back in the direction I came before. Looking around for a moment I see no one else on the street and quickly make my way towards the alley he walked into. Rounding the corner my suspicions are justified when there is nothing in the alley save for a dumpster, and a door at the back of one of the town salons. Father did always say it was only a faggot who would make a career out of cutting men's hair.

I move toward the door holding my breath at the opportunity this moment means for me when instead the door pushes open at me causing me to side step and stand out of the entry way. A man comes stumbling out reeking of whiskey, my fathers favored drink. After the door closes behind him exposing me from my hiding place the man brushes his coat off before pausing a second and slowly turning towards me. He looks me over for a moment allowing me to take in his handsome face. While his eyes appear dark and sunken I am drawn in by the lovely green hue to his eyes. His straight nose set perfectly against his angular jaw and well-formed lips. He pulls his lips into a small smile causing me to see the look he is throwing my way, I can only feel one sensation when I look into his eyes. Lust. He sweeps his short dark brown hair back with a run of his fingers and tilts his head behind him out of the alley before turning and walking away.

I'd heard of this, this is how the queers would speak to each other in public, when they wanted to go off alone somewhere to do, unspeakable acts. As he nears the end of the alley he looks over his shoulder at me and tilts his head once more beckoning me. I feel myself move before my mind has decided to follow him. Walking out of the alley I feel almost like I am drawn to him, being pulled along like a puppy dog begging for the affection of their master. When I meet the street I look around to find him no where in my immediate area. My heart falls deep into my stomach, for some reason the idea of missing out on time with him breaks my heart. Fortunately on the opposite end of the street I see him leaning against a distant alley way smirking at my appearance. I begin walking towards him now picking up the pace before he pulls another amazing feat and disappears before I reach him. He chuckles quietly denying me the experience of hearing his voice echo off the night air. He turns into the alley as I near him but when he is out of my sight I widen my stride and begin running after him.

Once I run in front of the alley I look on with the similar hurt in my eyes at the empty alley where he should be waiting. Though feeling dejected I enter into the dark hoping for another moment with the handsome stranger. "Hello?" I hear my voice escape my lips sounding pathetic and light quivering in anticipation for a moment I can only hope will arrive. Once at the end of the alley I look around for doors or entry ways that he may have gone to but find nothing but a cold brick wall. He's gone, somehow I missed him again. Turning on my heels towards the alley exit I come face to face with the man, so close that I am sure he can feel my breath fanning against his neck. He stares down at me with a condescending smile inching closer to me. "Looking for me?" He breathes watching me quake beneath him. I move to speak but feel my voice catch in my throat so only a nod can show my desires.

He leans down to me with his nose brushing against the side of my neck eliciting a weak whimper from my throat. This is it, the moment I didn't know I was looking for. Here in this dirty alley way I would lose my virginity to the most handsome man I had ever laid my eyes on, it couldn't be more perfect. "Look at me." He whispers causing me to look up in his eyes, the familiar pull there again causing me to breath out in short bursts. "How old are you?" He asks me staring deeply into my eyes. The reflection of his pupils are almost hypnotic drawing me to speak. "Sixteen." I mutter out surprising myself. I meant to lie and tell him I was eighteen but something about him drew the truth out. I fear now that he would leave me knowing the truth but he makes no move to back away at my response. "Shame, so young, so eager, and so dumb." He mutters and somehow even those words still make me want him. "I'm going to kill you now." He looks down at me watching my features.

Though his words terrify me, I can't find it in me to back away. I can't look away from him and I can't say anything. He just leans into me before opening his mouth and his eyes darken after black veins appear around them and he bites down on the soft flesh of my neck. For a few seconds I stand there limp with his mouth biting at my jugular. He lifts his head laughing as blood flows freely from his lips and no doubt my neck. "Come on, try and run why don't you?" he asks and like a trigger I find the power in my body and push him back before sprinting towards the street. A few feet from the streetlights I feel his grip on my arm throw me to the ground amongst the trash. How did he catch me so quickly. He sinks his teeth into the other side of my neck causing me to release a watery scream that likely was heard by no one but the handsome stranger. "Please." I whimper out trying desperately with my hands to pull him off of me as his unnaturally heavy body pins me to the ground. He leans his head back laughing again. "Oh come now, this is what you wanted isn't it? Me on top of you?" I turn away from his gaze feeling sorry for myself as the last bit of struggle leaves my weakening body. "Say it. Say you wanted this." He says after grabbing my cheeks and forcing me to look him into his monstrous eyes. "I wanted this." I echo his words. The words felt like poison on my lips but it felt like I had no choice as he commanded me. He nods his head before sinking his teeth into my neck again smiling as my blood splashed back down onto me.

I begin contemplating my last moments as my vision begins to fade into blackness. My father would find out about my death and use this as more ammunition for his hate campaign within the church. Mother would morn me for a short time but would continue being the dutiful wife she was to my father. Erica would probably take it the hardest of anyone but she too would move on, she would have to. Blinking slowly I feel the last bits of life escape me when suddenly the weight above me is cast away allowing me a short shallow breath.

Talking ensues but the words escape me. I can't even make out the figures above me, though I can tell one of them was the man that was killing me the other was a similar build but no features could be seen through my haze. Their voices grow louder and one of them leaves as the other stands above me in silence. I fear that my savior has left me alone once more with my killer so with one more desperate plea I reach out for him and beg him for mercy. However no words can make it out of my tattered throat accept for a weak, "Please."

The figure kneels down beside me and says something unintelligible. I groan out to them realizing that it was not the man who had been previously trying to kill me. Please get help. I think at him but instead he stays over me saying something again. After a few seconds more his hand comes into view and is placed in front of my mouth. What is he doing? Is it some sort of medicine. I slowly stretch my mouth opening my lips before he presses his hand to my lips. The taste is warm and metallic but with how weak I am a have no reaction as he forces the liquid into my mouth. After a minute of this he pulls away and I feel tears leave my eyes at the realization that no matter what he did, I was going to die here in this alley. He reaches down touching my face and saying something again that I cannot hear.

Then his hands cover my mouth and nose and he applies pressure smothering me. Realizing what he is doing I attempt to struggle but my already weak body can't put up any sort of fight as the darkness wraps around me further. In my last moments all I can focus on are the cold ground beneath me, the scent of his hand, the bright stars shining against the darkened world around me. With one final breath I stop shaking, the pain goes away, and I can feel deaths embrace.

Hooves click against cobblestone pulling me from a deep sleep and allowing me to snap my eyes open. The bright light of the sun is blinding to my newly awaken eyes more so than it has ever been. Blinking the sleep out of my eyes I stretch my body feeling a comforting sensation shoot through my body. Gone is the grogginess of the night and my body feels recovered from the night bef…As the thought drifts into my mind I feel the ground against my back and push myself up into a sitting position taking in my surroundings. I am outside in an alley way surrounded by trash and covered in blood. My hand shoots towards my neck after my mind flashes back to the previous night with the stranger. Apart from the stickiness of my blood and filth there was nothing else on my neck. No bite marks or torn flesh as I remembered. "What happened?" I ask myself aloud pulling myself up to my feet and looking down at the carnage that is my blood soaked clothes.

More noise from the street outside pulls my focus as I look out at the numerous town folk going about their daily activities. Walking through the town in my blood soaked clothing would be a very bad idea, the alarm alone would cause the city to go into quite a tizzy. Stripping off my coat there is only a minimum amount of blood on my undershirt so I take my coat on the reverse side and use it to cover the visible blood. I needed to get home, and quickly. If my parents weren't already alarmed by me not waking up with them in the morning. Once I tell them a censored version of what happened they would no doubt be stricken with fear as well. Stuttering out of the alley way I blend into the crowd of people and begin the short trek home.

My father had told stories about things like this, creatures of the night who suck the blood of feeble women and murder families. In his stories he would talk about the many precautions needed to be taken to protect oneself from the monsters but his stories never seemed more than just that though, stories. Who would think that beast as powerful as the, "vampires" could be warded by sunlight, wooden stakes, and the plants in are garden, Vervain. If not for my encounter last night I would still think it all foolish tales of an angry man but now I had seen the horrid truth with my own eyes.

I ignore the few speculative looks that citizens throw in my direction quickly making my way towards my home. Subconsciously my hand raises reaching for my throat to check for the bite marks again. My memory was clear, I know that I was attacked last night, and I know that I was in fact bleeding out. How then am I still alive and why is the only evidence of the carnage of last night my bloodied clothing? My mind begins to drift to the other man who smothered me after fighting off the initial attacker. Could he be responsible? Father did also tell stories about witches, human like folks who could channel the devil and cast seemingly miraculous spells. Maybe they could cure the dying and he was healing me when I thought he was murdering me? Nothing made sense. The only person who could give me some sort of answer was my father because now his stories were appearing to be more than just that.

Finally walking up to our home I walk through the garden to the front door when a horrible smell causes me to repress the need to breath and look around for the source. What could be causing that horrendous smell? The smell feels like it is coming from everywhere and I the aroma isn't foul necessarily but it stings my eyes and makes my throat hurt just being this close to it. Whatever it is will be a concern for another day as I walk to the door and attempt the door knob to find it locked still. Oh well, I suppose there was no hope in trying to sneak past them I think before rapping on the door heavily. A few seconds pass by before the door pulls open revealing my mother on the other side wearing a distraught face.

"Samuel!" She pulls me into a deep embrace. "We were so worried." She squeezes me tightly cradling me in her arms for a moment allowing me to relish in her hold. It was rare for my mother to react like this, I knew inside that she loved me but with my father around she was seldom to show any maternal emotions since father said coddling was a common prerequisite for homosexuality. Just before my mother pulls away a new smell snags my attention. A sweet and very alluring smell comes from my mother's neck, possibly a new feminine oil she'd found at the market. She pulls back and walks into the house pulling my sleeve to follow along. As she pulls me into the door way something stops me and she loses her grip on my wrist stopping in her tracks and looking back at me. "Samuel, you can't hide from him forever, best to just accept your punishment now and deal with the consequences of your actions, now come inside my boy." At her words it is like a switch has flipped and the invisible barricade on the door is gone and I can continue forward. I follow after my mother into our home but take a questioning glance back at the door trying to understand what just transpired.

"Where in the hell were you last night Samuel Grace Rhodes?" The unmistakable baritone of my father's voice snaps me out of my lull and causes me to look at him sitting in his favorite chair by the fire place where my little sister Erica sits at the floor ceasing to play with her doll at my entrance. For a moment my fear of him blocks out all of the horrors of the previous night and I can find my voice as he stairs angrily at me. "Answer me boy!" He shouts standing up revealing his favored switch in his hands held out threateningly at me. I flinch away from him into my mother's side who backs away from me trying to hide her apologetic face. She knew what awaited me in here, and no matter her love for me she would never intervene on my behalf. I lower my head and mumble out my answer. "I was attacked last night."

My father guffaws before swinging his weapon at my right leg leaving a heavy sting and likely a bruise against my skin causing me to fall down to my knees. Erica cries out looking away from me as my father reels back his arm to strike again. "I don't want any damn excuses. Now where the hell were you last night!" He shouts again bending down to literally shout in my face. I squirm away from him and release my hold on my coat to show them the blood all over me. "It's the truth, I was attacked in an alley and woke up a few minutes ago amongst the trash." My mother gasps at the blood covering my torso and coat and moves to cover Erica's eyes as she turns back towards me to see the evidence I presented.

Father however looks stunned for a moment, whether in disbelief or shock I cannot tell but he slowly lowers his hand holding the switch and examines me and my clothing. "How?" He asks looking me over. I rise back to my feet still not looking him in his eyes. This man pulled me into an alley and was biting my throat out, I tried to fight him off but he was so strong it wasn't natural." I explain to my father hoping he could help explain what happened to me. He looks at my neck puzzled as I am over why there are no bite marks when I am in fact coated in blood. Mother runs towards me after hearing my explanation and tries to examine me by unbuttoning my top seeking further injuries. Once she removes my shirt I look down at my torso for the first time and hold back a gasp of my own. My torso that was once littered in scars from years of my father's discipline was no clear and blemish free. My father wears a look of realization now and charges towards us pulling my mother back and stands in-between the two of us. He looks at me hostilely before lowly speaking. "Get out of my house you abomination."

I am stunned looking up at him and my mother's shocked expression. "Robert please." She mumbles before he shoves her back before giving her an intimidating look. "You get out and stay away from this family." He holds up his switch in my direction. I begin to hyperventilate. "Dad, please, I swear I really was attacked, I can't explain it, I thought maybe it was by one of those vampires you told us about." I move towards my father and he backs away quickly backing into my mother who looks confused but makes no move to leave my father's side. "Exactly, when you get bit by a vampire you turn into a vampire. I won't have you near my family any longer you heathen so get the hell out of my house." Dad makes a threatening gesture towards me but quickly retreats once more back. Erica by now has taken to standing just beside our mother and father and I try casting her an empathetic look with which she looks saddened. She pauses for a moment before running towards me and taking my hand in her smaller one. "Papa, we can't send him away." Erica says holding my hand tightly reigniting a small hope inside me of the good of people, that in my family at least one person would stand beside me.

Father puffs up his chest and steps towards us. "Erica Faith Rhodes bring your ass over here before I have to repeat myself." He holds his switch up looking between my sister and I. Erica looks up at me offering a weak smile but as soon as she looks at me father moves his arm to unleash his switch right at her sweet little face. In a second my reflex kicks in and my hands grips around the switch mid air and I take a menacing steps towards my father. "You will never touch her again." I say looking him coldly in the eyes feeling my anger overwhelm me. I pull my other hand from Erica's and put it around the switch that my father still struggles to pull from my hands. I shove him roughly knocking his grip off of the switch and sending him backwards into the fireplace slicing his arm on the fire poker and cradling in there like a coward. "Not so fun being on the reci…" I trail off as the same sweet smell drifts through the air from before. I stop in my movement as mother looks on horrified and lets out an ear splitting scream and turning toward me. Her scream however does nothing to me as I find the source of the smell, fathers arm, his blood.

Lunging from across the room I dive onto my father's form laid on the floor and pull on his arm to bring the sweet smelling blood closer to my nose. He tries to pull back on his arm keeping the alluring smell from me so to stop him I pull roughly on his arm hearing the joint in his shoulder pop dislocating his arm and a deep groan to escape his mouth. With his arm freed I pull the blood closer to my face and inhale deeply into it. How could something so disgusting smell so delicious. Delicious? How would something so amazing taste if it smelled this desirable. I lean my lips close to the blood and take a tantalizing lick before becoming overwhelmed by the taste and sucking desperately on every drop of blood on his exposed skin. The pull is so strong and I make no effort in stopping myself from drinking as much blood as I can, that is however until a hand presses to my back.

Snapping my head around I see my mother and sister standing shell shocked looking on at me in fear. Erica however is touching my shoulder looking saddened. "You need to get out of here Sammy. They will come for you." She says looking scared of me but still caring deeply. I drop my father's arm who seems to have passed out from shock as I did not drink much of his blood. Rising to my full height I can feel a power within myself I did not previously feel but ignore the change when my sisters arms wrap around me and her small head crashes into my stomach. "Wherever you go Samuel, I will always think of you. I love you big brother." My throat tightens at her word realizing her truth, from here on I will never see her again. Mother looks on at the two of us making no move to intervene but seeming somber. I nod my head and remove Erica's arms. "I love you too, I'm sorry." I say before backing away from her and moving towards the front door.

Then the same toxic aroma surrounds me knocking me down to my knees. "What is this?" I cry out trying to move away from the painful smell. "Your father always said it would protect us from great evils." Mother said walking out from behind me. "I suppose it really had some hidden power then." She kneels beside me and lifts me up to a standing position before walking along with me out of the garden into the front of the house. The suns blistering heat is also beginning to beat down on my head more than I had ever experienced but thankfully with the setting sun the shadows I came across were enough to keep me going. "Mom, why?" I ask her wondering why she would help me now. "You are always going to be my son, no matter what you are." She pauses letting me go after we escape the deadly garden. "Nor who you love." She whispers out looking me in the eyes. She knew? How long had she known? Why did she never say anything? All questions I would never get to ask her, but I knew the important thing. They still loved me. "I love you mom." I say to her before backing away and running into the woods as fast as my feet would carry me.

After a few minutes I know understand how the vampire from last night was able to get away from me so fast. In mere minutes I had moved miles away from my home, I suppose in addition to strength vampires were faster than even the most spectacular human. Once I built a bit of distance between myself and my home I stop amongst the trees taking in the silence of the forest around me before a twig snaps alerting me. What now?

"I see you made your choice." A striking man with intense blue eyes contrasting wonderfully against dark eyelashes, eyebrows, and somehow darker still hair stands in the center of the pasture I was in. He was dressed flatteringly to his athletic frame but most of all about him was his lips, and the tight smirk he wore that reminded me so much of… "The vampire that attacked me. Your brother?" I ask quaking at the realization. "You were trying to stop him last night." I circle around my murderer as memories I didn't realize I had come rushing forward. "You called him a Ripper. He's been doing this all over the country." I begin closing in on him and stare at his oddly handsome face. "You killed me." I say growing angry. He stares down at me with a scowl overtaking his beautiful features. "No. I saved your life, I gave you a choice, one that wasn't afforded to me." I remember his distant words from the night before and now with clarity I can hear them clearly. "I asked you if you could have a second chance at life, would you take it. Judging by the way you ran through the woods here, I can see you accept my offer, to live."

Backing away from the man I think over everything I had learned in the past 24 hours and begin to hyperventilate. My life was changed forever now, gone were the days of Samuel Rhodes, the first son of Robert and Lorraine Rhodes, elder brother to Erica Rhodes, top of the class at Prufrock Secondary School, the nearly normal boy. Now I was a vampire and my life was just beginning. "Who are you?" I ask my mysterious hero who now looks down on me with a smirk again. "Damon Salvatore." He breathes out before turning away from me and walking along. Before I know it my feet chase after him and we walk into the darkness with him explaining my new life to me as I say goodbye to the boy I once was.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two: Origin

Heavy boot clicks lead their way through the rapidly emptying city streets of New Orleans. The town was full of life as people from all over the country gather to celebrate. Many would awake the next morning however to realize they were missing some of their valuables as the seemingly invisible stranger was weaving through them all swiping various items in the blink of an eye. He was my mark today. A short man somewhere in his thirties, blonde hair that was retreating up his head leaving a balding spot in the front of his head. His empty grey eyes void of any visible emotion but steadily looking for his next mark. Unfortunately for him, he had captured my interest and I have chosen him as mine for tonight.

He makes his way around a corner to a connecting road separate from the hustle and bustle of the festivities and smacks right into my chest. "Apologies." The man murmurs trying to walk past me. "The least you could do is help me up?" I growl at him from the ground angered at his crassness. I was already intending to kill him but if he continued showing this side of himself I would make sure his death was a painful one. The man turns towards me and looks down at me with an annoyed glare. Foolish man, that was all I needed however to get what I needed from him. Once I hold his gaze I force the power within to compel him to my whim. "Now, take my hand and help me up." The man wastes no time before bending down to grasp my hand and pull me from the ground. "There now, that wasn't so hard was it?" I ask brushing the dirt from my new coat that was given to me somewhere in Tennessee from a more than helpful clerk. "Show me where you live won't you?" I ask the man making sure to catch his eyes that were obediently trained on me. The man simply nods his head and begins walking down the street for me to follow.

"How are you doing this?" He asks after a few minutes. I am surprised that he can respond for a moment but recall the times before when Damon was showing me the ability. Humans can't fight the compulsion, well unless they took proper precautions, but they could act normally in other aspects outside of the compulsion. "It's this handy little trick called compulsion. I tell you what to do and, well you do it." I laugh watching his muscles tense as he walks in front of me. For a minute I think he has given up when he asks me another question, my favorite one. "What are you gonna do to me?" He asks feebly. I step in front of him and catch his gaze walking backwards as he continues on his path. "Oh for this part I'm gonna need you to do one more thing for me. Don't cause scene." I watch the look on his face to make sure the message was understood and once I am sure I step to the side and continue our casual conversation on his trip home. "Well, I'm gonna kill you. I will take you home, probably somewhere like your bedroom and I am going to drain you of every drop of blood in your body." I proudly tell him my plan brimming with happiness that finally my plan was full proof. I can hear a small whimper come from the man who was likely ready to break down in tears but could not break through my power so he stifled a small sound which didn't bother me.

"Let me guess your next question? Why me? Right?" I glance at him probably enjoying this a bit more than I should. "Well that part is easy, you are a terrible human being. You see I have been watching you for a few hours now. While you were busy seeking out whoever had the deepest pockets, I was searching for a meal. Talk about a happy coincidence that we found each other." I laugh to myself while following them man up to an apartment building where he fishes out his keys. Since turning into a vampire, I have been trying desperately to hang on to a bit of my humanity and the best way for me to do that was to make sure each time I killed someone it was for a greater purpose than just my hunger. Whether that meant stopping a mugger, a husband who beat his wife, or someone with a bounty on their head from the local newspaper. It wasn't difficult to find locals to keep me sated either. Damon thought it was foolish of me but if there was one thing we agreed on it was that killing was a part of who we were now. Though he mocked me he would never get in my way with my victims.

Once we make our way up two flights of stairs the man stops in front of a seemingly average door. "Well open it." I command looking at the side of his face as sweat drips from his receding hairline. He pulls out the same keys from before and unlocks the door leading the way into the apartment. "Come now don't be rude, invite me in." I ask smiling politely at him. "Please come inside." He chants mindlessly while looking broken inside. The interior the apartment is not nearly as unassuming as the outside however. It is filled with treasures of a wide range of worth and size. "Well, well, well. Quite the collection you have acquired here John." I marvel at the grandfather clock he has in his corner, how could he have possibly managed to steal this from someone, he wasn't an imposing man so he must have a team or something. "My name isn't John, it's…" I quickly turn on him running within an inch of his face, cutting him off. "It doesn't matter what your name was, now, you are John Doe." I allow him a moment to register my words before continuing. "Lay down on your bed and no more talking okay?" I compel him patting his reddening cheek with a smirk on my face. He makes his way toward his bedroom leaving me alone for a moment to look around at his stolen treasure trove. While stepping around the room curiously looking around for anything that may be of any use for Damon or myself. I come across a mirror that catches my reflection, a myth that my father also had in his stories which was fortunately just that.

Seeing myself now is strange and unfamiliar, the boy I was a few weeks ago is nothing like who I am now, who I will be for eternity. Where I was thin, pale, mousy, and baby-faced. Those same features were still plainly visible but everything about me was alluring now. I was slender with an unexplainable glow to my complexion. While still appearing youthful I was now strikingly handsome. Blonde locks hung from my head framing my face to bring focus to the two ocean colored orbs staring back at me. I was stunning if I did say so myself. Damon told me that vampirism played no affect in how we looked beyond healing wounds but I knew he was wrong. Being a vampire changed me and every part of it was for the better.

I saunter into his bedroom to find the man laying sprawled out in an almost Christ-like post, comical if you asked me. Tears were sliding down his face and his eyes squeezed shut tightly. "I hope it was all worth it." I ask as I walk toward him and slide my index finger up his body causing a noticeable shiver to rise from within him. Pathetic. Leaning close to his neck I smell the familiar scent that drives me crazy but try to hold back the blood lust. I have plenty of time, I have a private space, I didn't need to make a mess this time. Once my teeth snake into his jugular it all becomes a haze, I can hear whimpers and see flashes of crimson everywhere but nothing stands out I am in bliss of a hazy blood-soaked dream.

A swift kick catches me in the side knocking me down from my placement on the side of the comfortable bed. Quickly pulling myself up from the ground I look up and see Damon wearing a disgusted look on his face. "What the hell Damon." I shout at him standing back to my full height seeing that there was no imminent threat. "Me? What is wrong with you? Everytime you feed there doesn't need to be this big mess." He gestures around the room allowing me to see my handy work for the first time. Blood splattered all around the bedroom and the disfigured flesh laying on the bed was shredded around my favored areas; neck, wrists, hips. Even my own clothes were sopping with blood. Peeking up at Damon under my hair since my head was now hung in shame. "Want some?" I ask offering up my sleeve that had to have absorbed a pint with how much was leaking out of it. Damon shakes his head scoffing before walking out of the room. "You can't keep doing this. These types of scenes lead more people searching for us." His voice moves throughout the apartment. His anger is easily noticed so I hop across the bed sliding a bit in the blood searching for the dead man's pants to show Damon what I earned. Looking around the room I run to his dresser and begin looting it for any clothes that would fit me.

By the time Damon walks back in I am dawning a completely new outfit and had managed to get all of the blood out of my hair, appearing decently presentable. He pauses looking at my kept look before flicking a match at the bed which quickly begins catching the flames. "Let's go." He says storming out. I quickly run after him making sure not to spend too much time near the flames as I was foolish enough to attempt once before. "Hey, you didn't even ask me about this guy." I pout pulling the money out of my pocket finding a few pieces of women's jewelry amongst the bills. Damon makes no move to speak to me continuing to stamp down the stairs and out the front of the building. "He must have been a pretty successful thief with how much stuff he had in that place. Even from a few hours of pickpocketing he must have gotten like $300 bucks." I try to flash the money in front of Damon but he turns on me quickly grabbing my hand tightly ignoring the money.

"I have more important things to be doing than looking out for some fledgling vampire with no sense of impulse control." Damon has been angry with me before but this time seems different, it seemed like he may resort to more than threats this time. Since turning into a vampire fear was a foreign emotion but somehow whenever Damon would be angry with me it hurt me. I felt a need to please him. "I'm sorry, I thought I was getting better. I planned this down to the finest details but when I started drinking from him it just, it turned into a haze." I pout feeling guilty. Damon releases my arm continuing his way when a group of men with buckets and hoses come running past us towards the growing fire. "I can help you?" I offer up chasing after him. "Just tell me what I can do and I will do it." Damon doesn't respond just continues towards the house we had been living in with one of his witch friends.

After obediently following him through the home we make our way towards the bedroom she allowed us to use. I sit in the chair by the window patiently waiting for Damon's reaction. "I came here to help my brother. To stop him from becoming a monster." Damon says looking straight at the door no emotion on his face. "I saved you because I felt guilty. I was supposed to look out for Stefan and he is out there losing himself to the same blood lust that you refuse to work on." I move to speak but bite my tongue knowing my reaction would only upset him. "Every minute I spend here helping you is time I waste that should be used find Stefan and helping, him." He pauses finally looking at me. "I left the love of my life to a fate worth than death and I intend to spend every minute I don't use helping my brother, to get her out of that damn crypt!" His voice raises in the end and a flinch shoots through me before I even notice it. Damon looks sad for a moment making me want to console him in whatever way possible but he quickly clears the emotion and looks away from me.

"This is the last night you will see me." He says the words clearly but my brain can't register the words for a while, so long that Damon turns towards me to see if I heard him. "I can't help you anymore, from here on you can learn just like I did." He dusts off his clothing of the imaginary particles likely to break the tension that is building in the room. He begins walking toward the door to leave when I finally find my voice and raise from my seat. "Wait! You can't, you can't leave me! What am I supposed to do without you, there is still so much I don't know?" I panic feeling my throat tighten and tears build up in my eyes. Damon looks away from me focusing on the door. "You do what every other vampire does, figure it out." He makes a move to continue out the room and I run to block the exit. "Please, I'm sorry. You don't need to teach me anything else, just let me help you. I could help you find your brother and your girlfriend and I won't ever get in the way." I beg holding tightly to both sides of the doorway, so tightly that the frame begins to splinter under my fingers. Damon looks at me for a moment appearing to take in my words before his hand hits me square in the chest flinging me out of the room right into a mirror.

The witch Dayna rushes upstairs at the noise and looks upset at the destruction in her home before she sees Damon's face. "Don't come after me." He whispers casting me a brief look before stepping around my body and down the stairs. For a moment I can't breathe a mixture of shock and pain from the hit he shoved me with. Dayna moves to console me but I quickly rise to my feet and run down the stairs after Damon. I can see the front door hanging open and he is nowhere to be found. When I run to the door to chase him though a power stops me from following him. Tries as I might I cannot go out the door, I can't run after the only person I have left in the world. "My word." I hear the elderly witch murmur behind me. "You!" I shout rushing at her. "Release me of your spell!" I threaten her by extending my fangs near her face. Dayna however simply rolls her eyes and I feel an intense pain in my head as she destroys my brain. I fall to the floor from the extreme pain while she simply steps over my body moving to close the front door. "This was no spell of mine child, you just are listening to your maker as you should." Locking the door, she releases her power over me leaving me on the floor a crying mess as the tears break free.

"You should be thankful. The darkness that he carries around was bound to infect you at some point and he would kill you if it benefited him somehow." She walks back to me and pulls on my arm forcing me into a seated position from his floor. "You can stay here. Only as long as you continue to spill no innocent blood." She brushes my hair out of my face with her fingers and I look up at her confused. "I thought witches didn't like vampires?" I ask still reeling over the loss of my companion. She stands up and looks down at me expectantly causing me to rise to my feet matching her height. "I don't. I intend to help you control yourself and use your curse for a greater purpose than yourself." After a few minutes Dayna walks into the room holding one of the rings I'd taken from the thief. "You follow my rules, and prove yourself to be a "good" vampire, and I will give you this." I look at her judgingly. "I don't need you to give me the cruddy ring that I stole." I say rolling my eyes. She smiles, "Yes, but this could be a special ring, just like the one Damon wears that allows him to walk in the daylight." This sparks my attention. These rings were specially made by witches and since the relationship between the two species was so frail they were far and few in-between. "Do we have a deal?" She asks me holding out the ring in my direction. I nod my head accepting the small trinket into my open palm. "When the time comes I will grant you your wish, but for now, go upstairs and clean up the mess you made of my hallway." She turns away from me walking into the kitchen leaving me dumbfounded and annoyed. Begrudgingly I walk up the stairs prepared to do whatever it took to get that daylight ring and eventually find Damon once again.


End file.
